Category: Uncategorized
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Stolen Dreams by Anna Gezon
I poured more coffee into the flimsy paper cup marked with my name ‘Alexandra’ from the ancient coffee maker in the worker’s lounge area. The coffee tasted like watered-down tar, but I don’t complain, at least they gave us free coffee. I willed the very little caffeine in this watered-down coffee to start up my…
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The Truth about Marriage by Kay Kittrell
Lenore made her way into the living room from the kitchen bouncing on her heels. Her black pin curls bobbed with every step. “Hey babe, look at this cute baby book,” she said with a grin. “I’m thinking we could paint the nursery with either this nice shade of lavender or not! Maybe this nice…
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Fire Ants on the Peonies, First Home, Kumiko by Madeline Neway
FIRE ANTS ON THE PEONIES In my cradle of veiny greenI am birthed into the saturation.A tick of the little hand and I shed my skin likeA child’s discarding of her blanket. From the decay I emergeA brilliant, white puss moth.Berkana cast onto the cloth,The Birch Goddess takes my place. Like the dodoI am gifted…
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Drip, Use Me, and You by Amber Leedy
DRIP Drip. Drip…drip… The faucet that has needed fixing for weeks carries a constant reminder of your to do list adding up. The texts from those who care about you asking if you’re okay. How do you answer that? Are you? Sometimes you’re great and sometimes you’re fighting the urge to scream at the top…
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The Differences Hard to Accept by Raegan Bush
You sniff that patchEverySingleTime.To me?That’s grass.Green and boring and plain and ordinary, but to youIt’s green, it’s fun, it’s full of scent, it has something secret.Something unknown to me.Something I’ll never know. Something I’ll never know. Something I’ll never know.I don’t know what thatSomethingIs to you.I know that it is not the onlySomethingKnown to you…
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A War with Age by Julia Elliott
Summer was time offLunch was combined with RecessHomework was funGrades did not matter Summer was now for jobsLunch was just to eatHomework was dreadedGrades were everything Being different was considered weirdBeing a nerd was not cool at allGirls liking girls was kept secretBoys liking boys was feared Different is uniqueBeing smart is sweetBeing lesbian is…
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Until It’s Too Late and I Am the Voice by Patty Flook
UNTIL IT’S TOO LATE Walking through the schoolyardsickened by what I see.All this hatredbut nothing surprises me. Innocent people hatedbecause of who they are.They wear long sleevesto cover their scars. They want to feel pain;What this world has come tois such a shame. The words you say neglect them.But the bully doesn’t care,Your pleas mean…
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The Secret Intuition, Complete Darkness, and The End by Oscar Mendieta
THE SECRET INTUITION I got lost in that bonfire of longing and poetry,in that invocation that your song has,the secret intuition that then decided,that dawn was the one who would find us. With the beautiful daring that the heart hasand the burning passion that consumed us there,we were calm that burned as the new day…
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In My Island Body by Pauline Locsin-Kanter
Sixty-two and a half, plus nine in the feet, blessed with 16 inches around the calf, makes for an island girl as strong as someone who wrestles with the expectations of being as petite as the skinny Asian next door. Skinny doesn’t mean fit, nor does it mean strong. It is smaller in physique that…
The Bottom Shelf Review 